Gracias to so many of you for writing about being bilingual and the funny stories you posted for the first Bilingual Corner! Its all just for fun, so this month I thought I would talk about our names! See, I realised that being bilingual not only means speaking two (or more) languages but experiencing different ways of doing things – traditions I think mami calls it.
Let me make it easy for you:
Let me make it easy for you:
Mami is from Chile
Daddy is from the USA
Which makes me, Little M a Chilean/American born Brit – cool huh? And that’s a whole lot of different traditions going on there!
And so the name selection process began...
When I was still in the waters, I could hear mami and daddy talking about what to call me once I came home. It was a bit muffled, but I could sometimes make out parts of their conversations. I tell you, I knew a lot more than they thought when I finally left. Including my name, Little M!
After a day of non-stop bumping around in mami's tummy, when the waters did eventually stay still (which now I now know means that mami was sitting), I could hear mami say “he is going to have English last name, so I want him to have a Spanish first name, but easy enough to pronounce”
Daddy would then say “Any particular names you had in mind?” then mami would say a few and then they would both just go silent. From what I gather, it took them a long time to finally agree to my name. Mami really wanted a Spanish name and happily daddy agreed too! (As long as it didn't have too many "R" because he has a hard time with those still, hahaha!)
After a day of non-stop bumping around in mami's tummy, when the waters did eventually stay still (which now I now know means that mami was sitting), I could hear mami say “he is going to have English last name, so I want him to have a Spanish first name, but easy enough to pronounce”
Daddy would then say “Any particular names you had in mind?” then mami would say a few and then they would both just go silent. From what I gather, it took them a long time to finally agree to my name. Mami really wanted a Spanish name and happily daddy agreed too! (As long as it didn't have too many "R" because he has a hard time with those still, hahaha!)
When I discovered my name...
I was so happy when they finally did start calling me by my name, “Hola Little M, its daddy” I’d hear him say, and then again, and again and again. So that’s how I knew he was talking to me!
I liked hearing their voices through mami’s tummy and sometimes I would even put on a little show for them and kick my legs or move my arms around.
More surprises...
After being in the outside world now for 18 months (well, almost) I realised that Little M is in fact a Spanish name, however, we have all discovered that it is also a German, French, Portuguese, Finnish, Nordic, and even Lithuanian name! (Daddy saw that a few biathletes in the Winter Olympics where also named Little M and that made him very very happy!)
So I guess mami and daddy made a great choice - although I still get funny pronunciations at nursery. Don’t they hear how mami says it? Silly people.
So I guess mami and daddy made a great choice - although I still get funny pronunciations at nursery. Don’t they hear how mami says it? Silly people.
Your turn...
Now I ask you, do you have a first name that maybe is traditionally used in another country or language? Or the other way around? Is someone else in the family named that? Did you choose it to remind you of where you come from? Does it set you apart? Have you had difficulties with it?
So far, no problems here! I've even met a few Little M's although they were not so Little – and when people hear it, they say they like it!
So far, no problems here! I've even met a few Little M's although they were not so Little – and when people hear it, they say they like it!
Write and link...
Can’t wait to hear your stories. Please remember to mention Little M's Bilingual Corner and link back to my blog on your post!
I will add a Linky so you can come back and leave your post so others can read it.
Can’t wait to hear your stories. Please remember to mention Little M's Bilingual Corner and link back to my blog on your post!
I will add a Linky so you can come back and leave your post so others can read it.
